WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin joined other Democratic members of the House in signing a letter to Sen. Tom Daschle, the Democratic Leader of the Senate, urging that the Senate defeat the nomination of former Sen. John Ashcroft to be Attorney General of the United States. The Senate is expected to vote on the Ashcroft nomination by the end of the week.

The letter states, "Senator Ashcroft's past record and his extreme positions on civil rights and other issues raise fundamental questions about his ability to enforce the most basic laws of our nation. His treatment of the nominations of Ronnie White and James Hormel, and his appearance at Bob Jones University, shows a disturbing lack of judgement. As Governor of Missouri, he repeatedly blocked efforts to register voters and encourage greater voter participation in the electoral process. In addition, concerns have been raised about the accuracy of the testimony that Senator Ashcroft has made on these critical issues."

In signing the letter, the Congressman said, "It is my sincere hope that the Senate will defeat this nomination, which can only serve to divide the nation. We need an Attorney General who can embody confidence and trust. Unfortunately it's clear from Sen. Ashcroft's past actions that it would be extremely difficult to have faith in his willingness to enforce critical civil rights laws," said Rep. Cardin.